Tyrese Maxey Is Taking the Leap-and the Sixers Are Following His Lead
PHILADELPHIA - Tyrese Maxey isn’t just having a breakout season-he’s authoring one of the most compelling ascents in the NBA right now. The 24-year-old guard has elevated his game across the board in 2025-26, and the numbers speak for themselves: 30.0 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game, all while shooting an efficient 46.9% from the field and nearly 40% from three. But the stats only tell part of the story.
Maxey has played in 40 of the Sixers’ 42 games so far and is logging a league-high 39.5 minutes per night. That’s not just workload-that’s leadership by example.
And Maxey’s not shying away from the responsibility. In fact, he’s leaning into it with the kind of hunger that’s fueling Philadelphia’s push in a crowded Eastern Conference.
“I’m nowhere close to where I can be,” Maxey said after being named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. “I just want to be better-for my teammates, for the organization, for my family.
And I know I’ve got a coach and a team that believes in me. That pushes me to keep going.”
That belief is clearly mutual. Maxey’s relentless work ethic and emotional investment in the team have made him the heartbeat of this Sixers squad. He’s not just scoring in bunches-he’s making winning plays, setting the tone, and embracing the grind on both ends of the floor.
And that includes defense, an area where Maxey has made noticeable strides. Once considered a liability on that end, he’s flipped the narrative through a combination of effort, strength, and basketball IQ. Head coach Nick Nurse has seen the transformation up close.
“Defense starts with wanting to do it,” Nurse said. “There’s a physical element, sure, and he’s gotten stronger.
But mostly, he’s realizing what he can do. And when other guys start stepping up too, it creates this energy they feed off.
He’s a big part of that.”
Nurse, now in his third season with the team, has watched Maxey grow from a promising young scorer into a full-fledged star. The No. 21 pick in the 2020 draft has faced his share of challenges in Philadelphia-roster turnover, playoff heartbreak, and the pressure of expectations. But through it all, Maxey has kept climbing, and now, he’s standing among the league’s elite.
“A lot of it’s opportunity,” Nurse said. “But it’s also aggressiveness, confidence, and the work he’s put in.
He’s matured. We’re giving him every chance to be aggressive and do his thing, and he’s taking it.
The exciting part? There’s still room for growth.”
That’s the scary part for the rest of the league. Maxey is already carrying the Sixers on his back-and he’s still just scratching the surface. With every game, every possession, he’s showing he’s not just ready for the spotlight-he’s built for it.
And if this version of Maxey is just the beginning, Philadelphia might be looking at something special.